I am toying with the idea of building a fifle for myself. I will probably buy a barreled Remington 700 receiver for the mechanics. I would appreciate any suggestion on a book that covers making the stock or at least presents a series of patterns.

Before you start on your fifle, I mean rifle, get a copy of the Gun Digest. In the back is a book list; stock making is under Gunsmithing.

You can also go to the book people on the net. Try www.gunandknife.com, (http://www.gunandknife.com,) which has a book forum. Of course, there is Amazon and others.

Custom stock making is in decline these days; everyone wants black plastic because it "looks cool".

Jim

Paul B.

August 14, 1999, 01:01 PM

I dis agree that custom stockmaking is in decline. I just had a .280 Rem. built up with a beautiful Claro Walnut stock, jack O'Conner classic style, Fleur de Lis checkering, trapdoor butt plate, metal grip cap. This was built on a 1909 Mauser action, Lilja barrel, and much more. No engraving. I could have bought a damn nice used car for what it cost, and it wasn't even done by a super well known gun builder.
Dave Miller, here is Tucson wants $15,000 for his plainest custom jobs. Yes. I will get a plastic, (read black) stock for hunting purposes for it. Because I do not wany yo damage that fine piece of wood. I also like the stability, as I sometimes hunt some pretty wet country. (Try the Olympic Penninsula near Lake Quinalt at 400+ inches of rain a year.)
Back in the early 80's the IRS tried taxing custom gunsmiths out of business. They formed a guild and fought it. They are now allowed to make only a few rifles a year. If memory serves it was 52 guns. Any more and the "GUV" considers them manufacturors or some such. That is when prices took a humungous leap.
I don't think that people think black is "cool." I think most of them have been priced out of the market. Check around. I got off relatively cheap, because I had the components. All I really paid for was labor.
Just a point to ponder.
Paul B.

Joe Portale

August 14, 1999, 02:37 PM

Both of you hit the reason that I'm going to build my own rifle. I am very interested in the craftsmanship that in our society has let fall away. Just for the record, I'm a pretty fair cabinet maker and have the tools needed to do this job. There are just a few, well actually a bunch of points that need to be clarified before the project starts. It would be wonderful to make something that has real lasting value, even if it is only passed on within the family. I think the black plastic choat stocks look cheap, they simply don't have the character that wood does.